Today on our journeys our guide was dicussing the Beijing transport system, and informed us that the city government has an intention to make subway stations available within 500 metres to the majority of Beijing citizens by 2020. He said you know that you have a subway station close by, and said that we did know as we had taken a trip to the zoo the day before. As an aside because we found locating the station difficult I started a regrettable discussion speculating that an improved symbol or icon be designed to identify the stations. He did not understand. I asked him if he knew any graphic artists or designers who could assist him with the task, which he would be able to sell. He again looked at me, over the mask he has been wearing for the past day, with a vacant expression. I tried once more bringing the iconography of the London tube system into the mix. Now I think he believed me to be utterly insane. To my right I could just make out my fellow traveller begin to shake in stifling a fit of the giggles. Later she told me she was thinking “oh oh where are we going with this”.
Where we are going is a second warning for me. Yesterday’s was keep away from ladies on the street who approach mentioning money. Today’s is do not start conversations of this nature with foreign guides, especially those who have no knowledge of London’s transport system.
I am enjoying this and I am not even there!
Good